Ukrainian journalists denounce EU visa troubles

A number of Ukrainian journalists invited to attend a Brussels conference were issued with visas valid for only two days, a decision that shows the "bad will attitude" of the EU towards Ukrainian media, they told EurActiv.

Ukrainian journalists are normally expected to benefit from the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative which should allow them to benefit from a lighter visa regime and be issued long-term multiple visas.

But a group of 20 journalists, including the chief editors of major media, arrived yesterday (15 October) in Brussels with one-entry visas, valid for two days only, starting from 15 October.

If their airline connection was to be delayed, even for one day, they would be considered in irregular situation.

Keynote speakers at conference were the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko and the former Polish President Alexander Kwa?niewski. The latter, together with former European Parliament President Pat Cox,has been tasked by the European parliament to deliver a report on Ukraine’s progress ahead of a landmark Eastern partnership summit in Vilnius on 28-29 November.

No matter how important, the statements made at the conference were eclipsed by the journalists' visa difficulties.

Kovtun, who was described by her colleagues as the informal leader of the group and a journalist with enormous experience and prestige, said she didn’t believe this treatment was simply due to bureaucracy.

“It’s a matter of bad will attitude,” she said.

Some of her colleagues spoke privately in the same terms, but preferred not to be named, fearing reprisals on behalf of the EU visa authorities in Kyiv.

EurActiv asked Oleksandr Sushko, a researcher on Schengen in Ukraine and chairman of the Civil Society platform of the Eastern Partnership, to comment the incident. Sushko, who has done research and regular annual monitoring of EU’s visa-issuing practice vis-à-vis Ukrainian nationals, said that normally journalists should benefit from special arrangements, including multiple entry Schengen visas with a validity from one to five years. All the journalists in the group had applied for one-year multiple entry visas.

But according to Suschko the problem was with the Belgian embassy in Kyiv, which in his words was “the worst among consular services”, especially when the invitation originates from an EU institution, which he said was "a paradox”.

Asked whether he suspected a sabotage of EU-Ukraine relations by some obscure official at the Belgian consular office, he said that it was rather “Belgium’s policy to restrict travel for legitimate travellers”.

EurActiv has asked the Belgian foreign ministry to comment and will publish its reaction as soon as it becomes available.

Background

Achieving visa-free travel to the EU is an objective which the governments of Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan have kept high on their agenda and they are at different stages of implementation.

It's a goal strongly supported by public opinion in these countries, which see obstacles to obtaining European visas as basically unfair. The EU sees the push for visa-free travel from these countries as legitimate, but insists on a number of conditions to be fulfilled before the goal is attained.

Indeed, the EU Commission has gained valuable experience in helping achieve visa-free travel with other European countries in recent times. In 2001, first Bulgaria and then Romania, at that time candidates for membership, broke the visa barrier following five years of pioneering efforts and intense lobbying. [Read more]

Comments

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It’s a disgrace the way most embassies in Ukraine treat Ukrainian citizens who wish to apply for visas. Howver, Austrian embassy and Belgian one are among the worls ones, indeed. The amount of documents requested from people in these embassies tremendous and still often not enough, the way of treating people is often humiliating. Men are treated like potential illegal workers, women like potential prostitutes but one thing is to check people and filter the suspicious ones and the other thing is to make everyone applying for visa feel like a criminal who needs to prove otherwise.

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Anonymous

16/10/2013 22:23

Most of the Ukrainian political journalists (if not all of them) refrain from telling their audiences that after the 2010 reversal of the Ukraine’s constitution Yanukovich is hardly legitimate president of Ukraine. Basically they are undermining the rule of law, which is among the key priorities of the EU and the Belgian foreign ministry. I am surprised they are still given EU visas at all.

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Anonymous

17/10/2013 08:09

You should try Polish embassy and possibily the help of Stowarzyszenie Dziennikarzy Polskich – http://sdp.pl

There’s agreement on mutual cooperation signed with Ukrainian journalist guild so You just should use it.

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Anonymous

17/10/2013 10:36

I think that short terms of visas for Ukrainian are inspired not by political causes, but by busines causes. Majority of visas applications in Ukraine are collected not by Embassies themselves, but by so named ‘visa centres’ on bahalf of EU countries embassies.
The shorter terms of visas are, the more visa applicants pay money to ‘visa centres’, the bigger profit visa centers’ have.
Of course this business causes can be the obstacle for visa liberalization.

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Anonymous

17/10/2013 12:25

All stated by the mentioned Ukrainian journalists is an absolute and perfect nonsence! Very unprofessional approach, shame on them! The simple desire to have mentiple entries Schengen visa does not guaranty its issuing. The Belgian Embassy in Ukraine is one of the most effective and impartial! The “4th Ukrainian estate” is like the whole State in general!

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Anonymous

17/10/2013 13:59

Tell me why the claims of journalists to the embassy are nonsense and unprofessional approach? The European Union has signed an agreement with Ukraine about visa facilitation and must carry it out. The agreement stated that the journalists are issued 5-year Schengen multivisa. In fact, the embassies of EU countries violate this agreement. ?? ?????????, ??? ?????????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ? ????????? ??????? ? ????????????? ????? ?????? ? ?????????? ? ??????????, ?? ??????????? ???????????

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Anonymous

17/10/2013 13:59

Do you think that journalists should keep quiet about it? And call upon the citizens and the government of his country’s association with the EU, does not comply with the agreement?

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Anonymous

17/10/2013 14:24

The EU-Ukraine visa liberalisation agreement envisages 5 year visas for journalists, not propagandists assuring Ukrainians that Yanukovich is the legitimate president and can enter international agreements on behalf of Ukraine.

Inna, journalists do have this right. There is nothing in these documents about visa liberalisation for propagandists supporting the usurpers. While the Belgium FM and the EU have to provide support to the rule of law, but not the abuse of law. Thus the embassy acted properly and must deny you next time.

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Anonymous

17/10/2013 15:14

First of all,the EU should implement free visa travel for Ukrainian nationals as it did for Serbs, Albanians etc.It’s just a nonsens that Ukrainians have to apply for a visa to travel in Europe. Those who want immigrate they will find a way to do so, but the need to obtain for a visa is just a way to earn money and to humiliate Ukrainians. About what integration can you speak if you cannot provide people with the right on free movement…

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Anonymous

17/10/2013 22:03

Before being allowed to travel visa-free to Ukraine, I experienced the Ukrainian consular service in Italy, and it was comparable to that of the most rotten african country. Not only, before leaving Ukraine, in 2003, all my ukrainian currency was seized by a policeman (with no receipt) telling me it was “State Property”. Until at least 2011, in Kiev, I always had to walk with my passport, as policemen in Kreshatik used to stop and frisk me on any ridiculous pretext, obviously looking for a bribe. This being the warm welcome of the authorities, no surprise the country is rather… Read more »

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Anonymous

18/10/2013 00:10

Dear Europeans, why are you treating us like animals? Yours, Ukrainians.

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Anonymous

18/10/2013 00:14

Dmytro Potekhin, unfortunately we have voted this way so yes, Yanukovych is the legitimate president of our country. This has been proven by several international election watch groups, including American and European. Your emotion is understandable but unfortunately, your words are way off the current reality. We have demonstrated Europe our level of tolerance to crime by electing criminal group to run our country, so yes, that’s why Europe is so much afraid of us.